qSOFA (Quick SOFA)
For adults with suspected infection. One point per criterion.
Enter the respiratory rate and systolic BP to see the score.
Not a screening tool.
The Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2021 guidelines recommend against using qSOFA compared with SIRS, NEWS or MEWS as a single screening tool for sepsis or septic shock — a strong recommendation on moderate-quality evidence. qSOFA is specific but insufficiently sensitive, so it misses patients who do have sepsis.
Use NEWS2 to screen for deterioration, and qSOFA to flag those already suspected of infection who are at risk of a poor outcome.
A negative qSOFA does not exclude sepsis.The Sepsis-3 task force was explicit that failure to meet 2 criteria “should not lead to a deferral of investigation or treatment of infection or to a delay in any other aspect of care”.
Altered mentation means anyGCS below 15, not a specific deficit. The derivation model used GCS ≤ 13, but the task force widened it to any GCS < 15 because predictive validity was unchanged and it is quicker to assess.
qSOFA identifies risk of a poor outcome; it is neither a diagnosis of sepsis nor a substitute for the full SOFA score, which is what actually defines organ dysfunction under Sepsis-3.
Show formula
One point each, for adults with suspected infection:
Respiratory rate ≥ 22/min
Altered mentation (GCS < 15)
Systolic BP ≤ 100 mmHg
Sources
- Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, et al. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016;315(8):801–810.
- Evans L, Rhodes A, Alhazzani W, et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2021. Crit Care Med. 2021;49(11):e1063–e1143.